ANP-PPP spar over Bilour family seats

Consultations between Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Awami National Party (ANP), and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) regarding seat adjustments in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) continued on Thursday, building on an initial understanding reached a day prior.

Initially, all three parties agreed to a formula where they would retain seats won by their candidates in the 2018 general elections.

However, on Thursday, the parties decided that the final decision on disputed seats would be made by the party leadership, despite reaching a consensus on the ‘cleared’ seats.

A dispute arose between ANP and PPP on NA-32 and PK-82, both allocated to the Bilour family by ANP. PPP sought one of these seats, leading to ongoing disagreements.

Read Three parties agree to seat adjustment formula in K-P

An ANP official stated, “There is still a dispute between the ANP and PPP on the NA-32 and PK-82 as both the seats have been allotted to Bilour family by the ANP, and PPP wants to have one of the seats.”

Consultations took place at the residence of former PPP president Syed Zahir Ali Shah, where an ANP delegation, led by Senator Hidayatullah Khan, participated. Later, a PPP delegation visited Mufti Mehmood Markaz.

Sources indicated that the three parties would retain seats won in the 2018 elections, while seats not secured by ANP, PPP, and JUI-F would be left to the runner-up party. Further discussions would address seats that none of the parties won in the last election.

Read Shehbaz, Tareen discuss seat adjustment

“If delegations fail to reach a settlement on disputed seats, the matter will be referred to the party leadership for a final decision,” sources mentioned.

Due to new delimitations, provincial assembly seats have reduced in Peshawar, with Syed Zahir Ali Shah and ANP’s Samar Bilour as candidates for PK-82, and Ghulam Bilour assigned to NA-32.

JUI-F has also insisted on considering the results of the 2019 local government elections before seat distribution. The demand of JUI-F will be taken into consideration, and further negotiations will address this concern.

Additionally, it was decided that candidates from all parties would submit nomination papers, and negotiations on seat adjustments would continue until a collective decision is reached after the submission of papers.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2023.